An accident authorities described as “horrific,” left a four-year-old dead and several other people injured and needing care in nearby hospitals. Police are still investigating the accident, but they have consulted with the local prosecutor as a precautionary measure in case it appears criminal charges are necessary.
According to reports, a motorist was stranded in the emergency lane of a bridge spanning a river. Perhaps because help was delayed, the child and possibly the driver of the car exited the stalled vehicle.
Another motorist who was traveling in the right lane on the highway moved in to the emergency lane because traffic in the right lane was not moving. She slammed in to the stalled vehicle, leaving the four-year-old boy dead at the scene of the accident.
Police said four other people were injured in the accident significantly enough to require hospital treatment, although their exact condition was not disclosed. Police hinted that other children were also involved in the crash.
In a traffic jam, it can be very tempting for a driver to start passing cars on the right or even create another lane of traffic out of the shoulder of the road or an emergency lane. This tragic story illustrates the dangers of doing so, as these lanes are used by people whose vehicles suddenly stall while on the road. A driver who chooses to use these lanes for travel runs the risk of rear-ending a broken vehicle and seriously hurting or even killing its occupants.
Under these circumstances, the family of the young victim may want to contemplate filing a wrongful death lawsuit, while those injured could file a personal injury action based on the negligence of the driver responsible for the accident.
Source: Cincinnati Enquirer, “Child, 4, killed in ‘horrific’ Northern Kentucky crash ID’d,” Chris Mayhew and Sarah Brookbank, May 2, 2018.
